SmartSwitch and SmartBridge MZ1 not allowing remote access ?

Prw629

Two weeks ago I installed a SmartSwitch onto my basement Well Pump Switch so as to be able to turn the well pump off if my water sensors detected a leak when I was away from the home. Yesterday, when out of state, I was looking at the 3rd Reality 3R-Installer App and realized that the switch and the hub were not accessible when away from home on Wi-Fi or phone data to turn the switch off as designed. I thought the switch and the hub were all connected properly to allow remote access and control of the switch when away from my home network, but evidently not.
The 3R-Installer app says “Network Mismatch” when away from home on another Wi-Fi network.
Please help. (I am trying to add photos to this, but the message board is only adding code ![](https://) when I tap the photo button below!)

Siyo

Hi there,

You are right; the MZ1 bridge will only allow you to access your devices locally if you do not have a Matter controller (e.g., Amazon Speaker, Apple HomePod). “Locally” means you must physically be within your WiFi network. This is because all Matter protocol devices function like your phone; they connect to your WiFi, but there is no cloud server to enable remote control of your devices. When you introduce a Matter controller, the smart home platform acts as the cloud server and transfers data between you and your devices. I hope this information is helpful.

Regards,

Siyo Chan

cadmodel64

Im replying to this post as i am in a similar situation and i want to fully understand how this technology works before i purchase.
Based on the original post, am i correct in assuming that ANY bridge etc. will connect to any matter device, but will only allow the device to be controlled if i am actually at Home? This is important as i want to be able to access the smart switch while I am AWAY from home as i do now with my ecobee thermostat.

Assuming this is true (I cannot access the device while away from home), do i have to purchase an actual HUB (smart home controller?) and then connect the bridge to it to be able to get remote access to the devices?

thanks for your time, im new to the smart home world, so appreciate any advice.

Siyo

cadmodel64
Hi,

This really depends on your current smart home setup, so I’m not sure which platform you’re using right now.

Your Ecobee thermostat supports Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings. If you’re planning to add a dedicated hub, I would probably recommend SmartThings, as it offers good compatibility and flexibility.

On the other hand, if you’re already using a platform and have a smart speaker such as a HomePod or an Alexa Echo, our Smart Bridge MZ1 may be a good option. It can bridge Zigbee devices to Matter-compatible ecosystems, essentially acting as a protocol translator between Zigbee and Matter.

Based on feedback from our users, the bridge works with many third-party Zigbee devices. However, since we cannot test every device on the market, we cannot guarantee compatibility with any third-party products.

If you could share a bit more about your current setup, I’d be happy to provide a more specific recommendation.

cadmodel64

Thanks for the reply!.

The most important question for me is this:
Can I remotely control a zigbee device(smart switch etc.) (away from home, using 3R Installer app) using only the bridge? (No Hub)
if the answer to #1 is NO, then my second question is this:
If I have a HUB (say AeoTec/smarthings, which im considering), do i need a Bridge at all?
Im assuming if i have an actual HUB, I can connect to all the devices directly without needing a bridge?
Im told a HUB is also known as a Matter Controller, is this true?

Thank you.
Ray

Siyo

cadmodel64 ,

The answer to your first question is no. Remote control is not available unless the MZ1 is connected to a third-party platform that provides cloud access (for example, Alexa). The 3R-Installer app operates locally and does not provide remote access by itself.

If you’re planning to purchase a SmartThings hub, there is generally no need to purchase one of our hubs, bridges, or dongles. You can connect your Zigbee switch directly to the SmartThings hub (assuming it is compatible with SmartThings) and add your thermostat there as well. Once both devices are connected, creating automations should be fairly straightforward.

Most modern smart home hubs also include Matter Controller functionality. If you plan to use Thread devices, make sure the hub also supports the Thread Border Router function, as this is required for Thread networks.

Hopefully, this information helps.